The Second Vatican Council's call for biblical renewal in every aspect of Catholic life revealed the need for a key to the Scriptures that would communicate their power by means of modern scholarship. The Catholic Study Bible addressed this crucial need. It has been widely accepted for use by advanced students, who have benefited from its wealth of background information on the historical, literary, and theological dimensions of the Bible. The Second Edition of this landmark resource has been significantly upgraded. The study notes have been completely rewritten, and there are new and expanded essays and sidebars on special topics in the study materials and biblical text. The heart of this edition's ancillary materials remains its extensive Reading Guide that leads the reader through the Scriptures, book by book. Clear marginal references in the biblical text point to specific pages in the Reading Guide, easing the retrieval of important background information. A 15-page Glossary defines biblical terms with which students may not be familiar. Also included is a handy 72-page selective concordance (index) to the New American Bible translation. This resource is a valuable aid to in-depth Scripture study (not available in the College Edition). Also included: the complete Sunday and weekday lectionary readings for all three liturgical years of the Church, plus 32 pages of authoritative, full-color Oxford Bible Maps with place-name index.